Thousands more families turn to food banks for help

 
Craig Woodhouse27 April 2012

More than 14,500 Londoners have turned to emergency food handouts in the past year as they struggle to make ends meet, a charity revealed today.

The number of people helped by food banks has almost trebled from 5,857 in 2010/11 to 14,642 in 2011/12, says the Trussell Trust. Campaigners called the situation “shocking” while Labour MPs blamed the Government’s failure to tackle poverty and unemployment.

Food banks, which rely on donations and provide at least three days’ of emergency supplies to people in crisis, have been opening at the rate of two a week over the past year.

The trust helps operate 30 in the capital which gave food to 8,056 adults and 6,513 children. They included 1,900 people in Newham, 1,835 in Orpington, 1,417 in Peckham and 1,213 in Redbridge, whose MPs include Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith.

Across the UK the number of people turning to food banks soared from 61,468 in 2010/11 to 128,697 last year. Reasons included delays in getting wages or benefits , low income, debt, unemployment and homelessness.

Trust executive chairman Chris Mould said: “Every day we meet parents who are skipping meals to feed their children or even considering stealing. It is shocking that there is such a great need for food banks in 21st century Britain, but the need is growing.

“As the Government’s latest budget begins to take effect we anticipate that more people will turn to food banks.”

Shadow London minister Tessa Jowell said: “I hope David Cameron and George Osborne face the reality of their double-dip recession on Londoners.”

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